Kugler Surname

1st Generation:

Martin Kugler was living in Pfalzgrafenweiler when their parish records began in 1645; it is unknown if he was from there. Martin was an innkeeper (specifically of the Bear Inn, "Bärenwirth"), an occupation shared by later members of his family. All 8 of his children had the same two godparents: Jacob Baier and Maria Rosten.

Martin's date of death is unknown, and is absent from the parish burial register. In 1676, two of his children (Martin and Anna) were married. The language in Martin (Jr.'s) marriage suggests that Martin (Sr.) was possibly dead while in Anna's marriage suggests that he was possibly alive. Later, between 1679 and 1686, his son Martin Kugler was described as "Jung Martin Kugler" (i.e. "young" Martin Kugler, or Martin Kugler Jr.) which is a clue that could suggest that his father was still alive. Then in 1693, when Martin Sr.'s wife Euphrosina died, the language in her record is ambiguous about whether he was dead or alive.

They had children:

1	Anna Kugler was baptized on January 13, 1646 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She was buried on June 23, 1647 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
2	Johannes Kugler was baptized on June 16, 1648 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He was buried on September 10, 1648 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
3	Johannes "Hans" Kugler was baptized on January 28, 1650 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on November 29, 1722 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He lived to adulthood, but presumably never married or had children.
4	Catharina Kugler was baptized on March 2, 1652 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
5	Martin Kugler
6	Elisabetha Kugler was baptized on June 14, 1655 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She was buried on April 4, 1656 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
7	Anna Kugler was baptized on February 22, 1657 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on November 26, 1716 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She married Martin Brickel on May 23, 1676 in Walddorf, Calw, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. They had children.
8	Hans Jacob Kugler was baptized on June 21, 1659 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on June 26, 1659 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.

1st Generation:

Father: Martin Kugler
Mother: Euphrosina

Martin was an innkeeper (like his father and also his son). In some records he was described as "Jung Martin Kugler" (i.e. "young" Martin Kugler, or Martin Kugler Jr.) to distinguish him from his father.

Father: Jacob Elsenhanss
Mother: Agnes Schaiblin

After Martin's death, Maria remarried in 1691 to Jacob Müller. She had one additional child from her second marriage. Her second husband was an innkeeper, just like her first husband (could he have taken over the family's inn business?)

They had children:

1	Martin Kugler was baptized on January 27, 1679 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on July 16, 1679 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
2	Jacob Kugler
3	Anna Maria Kugler was baptized on November 13, 1683 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on November 26, 1748 in Zinsbach, Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She married Jacob Epplin on June 27, 1701 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. It is not known if they had any children. She went by her middle name, Maria.
4	Euphrosina Kugler was baptized on October 26, 1687 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on June 5, 1711 in Haiterbach, Calw, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 15. She married Martin Gutekunst on October 28, 1709 in Haiterbach, Calw, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 15.

1st Generation:

Father: Martin Kugler
Mother: Maria Elsenhanss

Jacob was by occupation a butcher and an innkeeper. The inns he operated were variously described as: Lamb Inn (1716-1720), Bear Inn (1721-1724), and Stag Inn (1733-1735). He was also described in various parish records as being a court official ("Gerichtsverwandter"; a term for a generic civic role at the village level; similar to a magistrate or councilman).

Note that this family is often confused with Hans Jacob Kugler (1695-1753) and his wife Barbara (1698-1746) who also lived in Pfalzgrafenweiler and had a large family of children born between 1719 and 1743. That Hans Jacob Kugler was described as a farmer and church warden, as opposed to this Jacob Kugler and his son Hans Jacob Kugler, who were described as butchers or innkeepers.

On her 1709 marriage record, the text is very faded and difficult to read and her maiden name listed there is nearly impossible to decipher. It has been transcribed variously by different people and translation tools as Heym, Kelch or Carl/Carle.

1	Anna Catharina Barbara Kugler was baptized on October 17, 1710 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on January 12, 1774 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She married first Michael Stickel on November 27, 1731 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She married second Ludwig Guckelberger on November 26, 1742 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
2	Christina Regina Kugler was baptized on June 12, 1712 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on April 10, 1756 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She married Johann Jacob Egen on October 18, 1730 Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
3	Johann Jacob Kugler
4	Anna Maria Kugler was born on January 30, 1716 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on September 1, 1716 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
5	Anna Maria Kugler was born on March 16, 1717 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on July 1, 1717 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
6	Wilhelm Christoph Kugler wa born on April 7, 1718 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on August 8, 1718 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
7	Maria Magdalena Kugler was born on September 3, 1719 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on April 13, 1721 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
8	Anna Maria Kugler was born on November 23, 1720 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on February 19, 1724 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
9	Wilhelm Christoph Kugler was born on November 28, 1722 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on December 3, 1722 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
10	Maria Elisabetha Kugler was born on October 22, 1723 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on June 25, 1724 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.

1st Generation:

Father: Jacob Kugler
Mother: Maria Barbara

He went by his middle name, Jacob. In parish records, he was described variously as "Hans Jacob Kugler" or "Johann Jacob Kugler", two versions of the same name (Hans being the more informal version of the official name, Johann). Jacob was consistently described as a citizen and master butcher (metzger) in parish records.

Note that he is sometimes confused with a different family, Hans Jacob Kugler (1695-1753) and his wife Barbara (1698-1746) and their children born between 1719-1743. But they were a different (and unrelated) family.

Father: Johann/Hans Michael Frey
Mother: Agatha Morlock

Agatha was born and raised in the village of Röth in Klosterreichenbach Parish. Her marriage record confirms that she was from Röth and the daughter of Hans Michael Frey. And in her 1758 burial record, she was described as dying at the age of 57 years, 5 months, 3 weeks, and 5 days; which calculates to a birth of approximately December 10, 1700 (and which suggests she was about 13 years older than her husband). There was an Agatha Frey who was documented as being baptized on December 22, 1700 in Röth to Johann (Hans) Michael Frey and his wife Agatha (Morlock) ¹⁴. However that child was documented as dying as an infant in June of 1702. In reality, this Agatha was her younger sister, who was baptized on May 12, 1706 with the same name. The younger Agatha was documented as marrying Jacob Kugler and surviving her parents, who died in 1733 and 1739. Why though did her age at death imply she had her older sister's birthdate? Did she or her parents purposely use that earlier birthdate? Was it a clerical error (maybe whoever wrote the burial entry looked up the birthdate in the parish register and accidentally picked the wrong sister)?

They had children:

1	Christina Barbara Kugler was born on February 26, 1734 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on February 25, 1795 in Hallwangen, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 16. She married first Hans Jacob Reinhardt on May 16, 1751 in Hallwangen, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 16. He died on August 10, 1755 in Hallwangen, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. They had children: Hans Georg Reinhardt (1752-1752) Hans Martin Reinhardt (1753-1753) Gottfried Reinhardt (1754-c. 1819) md. Catharina Bretzing She married second Jacob Bauer on May 4, 1756 in Hallwangen, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 16. They had children: Anna Maria Bauer (1756-1758) Anna Maria Bauer (1759-1813) md. 1st Johannes Schifer md. 2nd Johann Georg Zieflin Johann Georg Bauer (1761-1836) md. Christian Pfeiffer Jacob Bauer (1767-1846) md. Anna Barbara Maser infant daughter Bauer (1770-1770) infant son Bauer (1771-1771) infant son Bauer (1772-1772) She went by her middle name, Barbara. She settled with her husband in the nearby village of Hallwangen (in Gruntal Parish), where they remained.
2	Susanna Elisabetha Kugler was born on April 6, 1736 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on November 25, 1801 in Altensteig, Calw, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 17. She married Johann Jacob Friedrich Hummel on February 5, 1766 in Altensteig, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 17. He died on September 23, 1815 in Altensteig, Calw, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 17. They had children: Georg Jacob Hummel (1766-1828) md. Rosina Kohler infant son Hummel (1778-1778) She went by her middle name, Elisabetha. She settled with her husband in his hometown in the nearby village of Altensteig, where they remained. Her husband was a baker.
3	Johann Jacob Kugler was born on August 6, 1738 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. He died on May 13 1740 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13.
4	Johann Jacob Kugler
5	Georg Friderich Kugler was born on February 13, 1745 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. There is no record of what happened to this child. He probably went by his middle name Friderich (Friedrich). His baptism entry included the abbrevation "confirm.", which suggests that he lived long enough to be confirmed (which usually happened at about the age 14-16). However there are no known records in Pfalzgrafenweiler (or surrounding parishes) to suggest he was married or buried there. This suggests to me that he had had moved away, which fits the family's pattern because all of his siblings moved away from their home village.

They had one child:

6

Rosina Catharina Kugler was born on November 22, 1759 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. She died on September 6, 1829, apparently in Klöstitz, Bessarabien, Ukraine. She married Johannes Doelker on June 25, 1782 in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany 13. They had children: Christina Barbara Doelker (1783-) Anna Maria Doelker (1785-1785) George Jakob Doelker (1787-1789) Elisabetha Doelker (1791-1860) md. Jacob Friedrich Ruff Johann Georg Doelker (1794-1872) md. Dorothea Richter George Jakob Doelker (1800-) md. Anna Maria Schneider She went by her middle name, Catharina. Her husband was a carpenter. They settled in her hometown of Pfalzgrafenweiler, where all of her children were born (between 1783 and 1800). But then probably during the 1810s, they moved to Klöstitz in the colony of Bessarabia in what is now Ukraine.

They had no children.

2nd Generation:

Johann Jacob Kugler went by his middle name, Jacob. Many online family trees incorrectly list him as "Johannes Kugler", which is confusing him with other people (see below). He was baptized in Pfalzgrafenweiler on February 6, 1741; his godparents were Jacob Ruoff, Maria Susanna Hausser, and Elisabetha Heger ¹³. He was born and raised in Pfalzgrafenweiler in Württemberg, but he left his family sometime in his youth or young adulthood. He was next found about 60 miles north in Gommersheim in the Palatinate region of Germany. The first evidence of him there was in July 1762 (aged 21), when he married Eva Catharina Neuhaus. In that marriage record, he was explicitly described as being from Pfalzgrafenweiler and the son of Johann Jacob Kugler, a master butcher from that town. After scouring Pfalzgrafenweiler Parish records, the only possibility is that he was the Johann Jacob Kugler born in 1741 to Johann Jacob Kugler (often described as master butcher) and his wife Agatha Frey. There are otherwise no records in Pfalzgrafenweiler of what happened to their son Johann Jacob, which supports the evdence that he was a son who moved away (and which fits the family pattern because all of his siblings also moved away from their hometown).

Jacob was a weaver while living in Gommersheim. A guess is that he was apprenticed to his father-in-law Johann Georg Neuhaus, who was a master weaver there. After marriage, Jacob and Eva continued living in Gommersheim, where their first four children were baptized between 1762 and 1769. In 1769 or 1770, they probably moved with his wife's family farther north in Germany to the area near the larger city of Duisburg. (In 1770, his wife's nephew was baptised in the parish of Hiesfeld and in 1775 his wife's father was buried in Hiesfeld. Hiesfeld is today part of Dinslaken, just north of Duisburg.) Jacob migrated with his family to America in 1771; they arrived in Philadelphia on a ship named "Betsey" which sailed from London and arrived in Philadelphia in December 1771. They also made the trip with his wife's sister and her husband, Paulus and Margaretha Bauersachs. On December 4, 1771, Jacob and Paulus both took an oath of allegiance after arrival. And a few days later, on December 11, 1771, Jacob's two oldest children (Adam, age 9, and Margaretha, age 6) were both assigned as apprentices (i.e. indentured servants) to a local man in Philadelphia.

It is unclear where the family lived in the first few years after arriving in America; they might have lived in Philadelphia or in neighboring New Jersey. By 1774 though, they had moved farther inland into Pennsylvania. Between 1774 and 1782, they were documented in Milford Township in Bucks County, Pennvaylania. Then in about 1782, they moved to nearby Frederick Township in Montgomery County, where they lived for a few years. Between 1774 and 1784, They were documented as variously attending both the Christ Lutheran Church in Trumbauersville (in Milford Township in Bucks County), and the Old Goshenhoppen Church (in Upper Salford Township, adjacent to Frederick Township in Montgomery County). During this time period, Jacob was described variously as a tavernkeeper, innkeeper, or weaver. In 1775, a Jacob Kugler served as a private out of Lower Milford Township.

In 1782, Jacob purchased land in Frederick Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. A few years later (in 1787 or 1788), this property was seized because of debt (probably unpaid mortgage or taxes) and in June 1788 sold by the government to someone else. The last known evidence of Jacob or his family in Frederick Township was in 1787. The next evidence of them was in 1790, when his widow was head of household in Northumberland (now Centre) County, Pennsylvania. It is not known if Jacob died before, or after, the family moved to Northumberland County. It is also unclear if they lived anywhere else between 1787 and 1790. In 1784, a Jacob Kugler received a warrant for land in Westmoreland County, in southwestern Pennsylvania; but it is not known if that was the same person, as there were other Jacob Kuglers in Pennsylvania during that time period.

Note that there were many other Kugler families that lived in the same general areas in Pennsylvania at the same time, including at least one other Jacob Kugler. It is challenging to differentiate between these different people. And there is also no reason to believe that this Kugler family was related to the others that were living there. Many online family trees incorrectly combine many of these families together.

Hemarried Eva Catharina Neuhaus on July 24, 1762 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ¹. She was born on March 31, 1741 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany ¹. She died after 1820 in Beavercreek Twp., Greene Co., Ohio.

She went by her middle name, Catharina. She was baptized on April 3, 1741 in Gommersheim ¹. In 1790, she was enumerated as "Widow Kugler" in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Her family was then documented between 1791 and 1794 in Penns Township in Northumberland County (now Centre County). Sometime between 1790 and and about 1794, she had remarried to Johann Georg Harner a widower with his own family of children. In about 1794, the combined family moved out west to the Northwest Territory. They settled near what is now Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio. There, they lived at the settlement of New Germany (Camp Dennison), now in Symmes Township in Hamilton County. Then in about 1800, they moved again, to Beavercreek Township in Greene Co., Ohio. In December 1815 and January 1816, she and her husband were named in multiple deeds when they transferred different parcels of land to different children. They were both enumerated in the 1820 census for Greene County, and probably died before 1830.

1	Johann Adam Kugler was born on November 9, 1762 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany 1. He died before November 23, 1815 probably in Montgomery Co., Ohio. He possibly married Agnes McClannegan on November 6, 1790 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania 4. She died before 1815 in Ohio. They had children: Jacob Kugler (c. 1784-1837) md. Catherine Bates Samuel Koogler (1787-1867) md. Elizabeth Margaret Koogler (c. 1796-1878) md. Elijah Slider Sarah Kugler (c. 1796-1877) md. Henry Bates Mary Koogler (1800-1891) md. William R. Hollis He went by his middle name, Adam. He was baptized on November 11, 1762 in Gommersheim 1. On December 11, 1771 in Philadelphia, shortly after arriving from Germany, Adam and his sister Margaret were apprenticed to a man named William Todd. The record indicated that Adam was to be "taught the coach harness marking business, read in the Bible and write a legible hand in English". In 1785, Adam was taxed (along with his father) in Frederick Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; described as a weaver. In 1790, an Adam Kugler was married to Agnes McClannegan in Philadelphia. It is assumed that this was the same Adam, but Philadelphia was far from where they were then living in Pennsylvania, and there are otherwise no known records that include the name of Adam's wife. His wife had likely died before him, as a wife was not mentioned as a survivor in any of his estate records. Adam was documented between 1791 and 1794 in Penns Township in Northumberland (now Centre) County, Pennsylvania. Adam then probably moved to Ohio with his family in about 1794. They settled near what is now Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio. Then in about 1800, Adam and his family moved again to Greene County, Ohio. Adam was living in Greene County as late as 1812. Sometime after this, he had moved to neighboring Montgomery County, Ohio. He died there before November 23, 1815, when his sons Samuel and Jacob were appointed as administrators of his estate. In 1809, Adam's name appeared in another person's estate record regarding a bill for 64 gallons of whiskey; perhaps an indication that Adam followed in his father's (and ancestors') footsteps as a tavern keeper?
2	Anna Margaretha Kugler was born on June 15, 1765 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany 1. She died after 1771. She went by her middle name, Margaret. She was baptized on June 16, 1765 in Gommersheim 1. On December 11, 1771 in Philadelphia, shortly after arriving from Germany, Margaret and her brother Adam were apprenticed to a man named William Todd. The record indicated that she was to be a "servant, taught to read in Bible, write a legible hand". There is no other information about her.
3	Maria Christina Kugler was born on April 28, 1767 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany 1. She probably went by her middle name, Christina. She was baptized on May 1, 1767 in Gommersheim 1. There is no other information about her.
4	Maria Elisabetha Kugler was born on August 2, 1769 in Gommersheim, Sudliche Weinstrasse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany 1. She probably went by her middle name, Elisabetha/Elizabeth. She was baptized on August 6, 1769 in Gommersheim 1. There is no other information about her.
5	Sarah Kugler was probably born on November 20, 1772* 8 in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. She died on May 11, 1872* in Bath Twp., Greene Co., Ohio. She is buried in the Byron Cemetery, Greene Co., Ohio. She married Johannes "John" Harner in about 1794. He was born on May 24, 1770 and died on July 7, 1840 in Greene Co., Ohio. He is buried in the Byron Cemetery, Greene Co., Ohio. They had the following children: George Harner (1796-1874) md. Julia Ann Gentis Catherine Harner (1798-1888) md. Samuel Schauer Sarah Harner (1802-1870) md. James Miller John Harner (1805-1873) md. Magdalene Haines Jacob Harner (1808-1901) md. Lydia Kershner Simon Harner (1810-1896) md. Sarah Wolfe Daniel Harner (1811-1893) md. Ann Elizabeth Snyder Rebecca Harner (1816-1849) md. John A. Fogwell Sarah moved with her family to Hamilton County, Ohio in about 1794 and then to Greene County, Ohio, in about 1800. She remained there until her death. * Sarah's tombstone provides her birth date as November 20, 1770 and her death date as May 11, 1873. However, both of those years must have been errors. Her obituary (below) clearly indicates she died in May 1872 (and not in 1873). In a different newspaper article from 1870 (see below also), she listed her birth date as November 20, 1772. Sarah's birth place is always listed as either Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Because of that, a birth in November 1770 is highly unlikely, as her family was documented as arriving in Philadelphia from Germany in December 1771. Xenia Semi-Weekly Gazette, Mar. 15, 1870, Pg. 1: "Beaver Station, March 7, 1870. The oldest pioneer lady now supposed to be living in Greene county, Ohio, is Mrs Sarah Harner, who now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Catherine Shower, one mile south-east of Byron, Greene county, Ohio. Mrs. Harner, whose maiden name is Koogler, was born in the state of New Jersey, November 20th, 1772, married and emigrated to the state of Ohio and settled in Beavercreek township, one mile south of Byron, in the year 1795, at which place she has lived for the period of 75 years, and encountered the danger of the red man and the hardships of pioneer life. Mrs. H. is the mother of seven children, of whom all are living but one. She has 43 grand children and 74 great grand children ; making in all a population of 123. She also has a brother living near by who is 87 years of age. Wm. Fogwell." Fayette County Herald [Washington, OH], May 23, 1872, Pg. 1: "Greene county lost a centenarian last week in the death of Mrs. Sarah Harner, near Byron, at the great age of 101 years, 5 months and 11 days. She had resided in that neighborhood for over 80 years, he father Mr. Koogler, being, in fact, one of the very first settlers in this county. - She died in the Christian faith, having been a member of the Lutheran church for 80 years. - Xenia Torchlight."
6	Johannes Kugler was born on September 7, 1774 2, probably in Milford Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. He was buried on March 14, 1775 3 at Goshenhoppen, Pennsylvania. He was baptized on October 16, 1774 at the Christ Lutheran Church in Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania 2.
7	Margaret Barbara Kugler was born on December 21, 1775 2, probably in Milford Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. She probably went by her middle name, Barbara. She was baptized on May 12, 1776 at the Christ Lutheran Church in Trumbauersville, Pennsylvania 2. There is no other information about her.
8	Anna Catharina Kugler
9	Mathias Kugler was born on February 12, 1780 10, probably in Milford Twp., Bucks Co., Pennsylvania. He died on March 7, 1854 6, 10 in either Clermont Co., Ohio or Hamilton Co., Ohio. He is buried in the Camp Dennison (Waldschmidt) Cemetery, Camp Dennison, Hamilton Co., Ohio. He married first Catharine Elizabeth Waldschmidt on January 22, 1798 in New Germany, Hamilton Co., Ohio. She was born on August 9, 1780 and died on April 26, 1846 6. She is buried in Camp Dennison (Waldschmidt) Cemetery, Camp Dennison, Hamilton Co., Ohio. They had children: Catherine Kugler (1799-1799) Catherine Kugler (1800-died young) Jacob Kugler (1802-1823) Christian Kugler (1804-died young) John Kugler (1806-1868) md. 1st Matilda Caroline Brower md. 2nd Rebecca Julia West Sarah Kugler (1808-1893) md. Joel Eugene Ogg Elizabeth Kugler (1810-1891) md. George W. Shultz Christian Kugler (1812-1836) md. Eleanor F. McGrue Catherine Kugler (1815-1874) md. Josiah Drake Christena Kugler (1817-1901) md. Edward Johnson Turpin David Kugler (1820-1904) md. Malinda Marley Mathias Kugler (1822-1919) md. Matilda Frances Connelly Jacob Kugler (1825-1856) md. Mary C. Fisher He married second Mary Bragg, widow of Jacob Durham on November 1, 1846 in Clermont Co., Ohio 11. She was born circa 1795 in Kentucky and died on August 31, 1858 12 in Clermont Co., Ohio. She is buried in the Rustic Valley Farm Cemetery, Clermont Co., Ohio. They had no children. Mathias moved with his family to Ohio in about 1794. They settled at what was called New Germany (now Camp Dennison) near Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio. There, Mathias married the daughter of the local mill owner. Mathias remained there, while most (all?) of his siblings and mother moved north to Greene County, Ohio in about 1800. Mathias owned land both in Symmes Township in Hamilton County, Ohio (where Camp Dennison was located) and also land just across the river in Miami Township in Clermont County, Ohio. In 1850, he was living in Clermont County, but otherwise resided in Hamilton County.
10	Johann Jacob Kugler was born on April 21, 1784 10 or April 22, 1784 3, probably in Frederick Twp., Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania. He died on September 12, 1870 5 in Beavercreek Twp., Greene Co., Ohio. He is buried in the Byron Cemetery, Greene Co., Ohio. He married Kunigunda "Kinla" Horner was born on March 6, 1804 in Greene Co., Ohio 7. She was born on about July 24, 1782 in Wertheim, Hoxter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and died on November 27, 1858 5 in Beavercreek Twp., Greene Co., Ohio. She is buried in the Byron Cemetery, Greene Co., Ohio. They had the following children: Catherine Koogler (1804-1887) md. Abraham Tobias George Koogler (1806-1892) md. 1st Mary M. Black md. 2nd Eleanor Ivens Mary Koogler (1808-1887) md. Robert Black Samuel Koogler (1811-1886) md. 1st Elizabeth Snypp md. 2nd Sarah Ann Iliff Solomon Koogler (1812-1901) md. Catherine Jones Mathias Koogler (1813-1877) md. Hannah Maragaret Bouck Sarah Koogler (1815-1842) md. Adam Routzong Simon Koogler (1817-1897) md. Elizabeth Ellen Parsons Jacob Koogler (1819-1900) md. Nancy Ankeney John Koogler (1822-1895) md. Leah Miller He went by his middle name, Jacob. Many family trees include him with the name "Josiah Jacob Kugler", which is based on the fact that he was listed as "Josiah Koogler" in the 1850 census. However, the name Josiah must have been an error on that enumeration. Jacob was listed on a plethora of other contemporary records, and not a single one of those other records included the name Josiah - he was always listed as Jacob. It was only on his baptism record (baptized on August 8, 1784 in the Goshenhoppen Church 3) that his original name "Johann Jacob" was used. Not to mention that the name "Josiah" would have been an incredibly unlikely choice for German emigrants. Jacob moved with his family to Greene County, Ohio in about 1800, and remained there until his death. Jacob was married to his stepsister Kunigunda Harner (Jacob's mother was married to Kunigunda's father and his sister Sarah was married to her brother). They settled on a farm in Beavercreek Township in Greene County. Jacob and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church. Jacob wrote his will on August 17, 1858, in which he described his wife, his 9 living children (Katharine, George, Mary, Samuel, Solomon, Mathias, Simon, Jacob, and John) and the children of his deceased daughter Sarah. His will was proven on September 21, 1870.

2nd Generation:

Anna Catharina Kugler was born on December 15, 1777 and then baptized on on May 17, 1778 in the Christ Lutheran Church in Trumbauersville, Milford Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; her godparents were Philip and Barbara (last name difficult to read, possibly Jager) ². Aside from that record, there is no known evidence of what happened to that child. No known record from the Kugler family has any mention or clue about what happened to Catharina (or her sisters Margaretha, Christina, Elisabeth or Barbara). Neither parents left any known estate record that provided any details on their surviving heirs. If Anna Catharina survived infancy, she would probably have gone by her middle name, Catharina (her parents and siblings went by their middle names). In about 1782, the family moved to nearby Frederick Township in Montgomery County. Sometime between 1787 and 1790, the family moved to what is now Penns Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania. In about 1794, the family moved to Hamilton County, Ohio. And in about 1800, most of the family moved to what is now Greene County, Ohio.

She was most likely the same person as Catherine, wife of Jacob Crobarger, who we know was born on about December 16, 1777, somewhere in Pennsylvania to foreign-born parents.

It was long the assumption of other researchers that Catherine Crobarger's maiden name was Catherine McCreedy (or even Mary Catherine McCreedy) and that she was married to George Washington Crobarger. In reality, the store about the McCreedy name originated because of one descendant's guess based on a census enumeration (the 1860 census, in which her last name was entered as what looks like "Crobreedy"; presumably they guessed that it was a combination of her married and maiden name) and her husband's full name was just a guess based on the name of their oldest son. It turns out that her husband's name was actually proven to be Jacob, and the researcher's previous guesses are unfounded. If anything, a better guess for her last name would be "Cooper", which was her last name in the 1850 census enumeration; but that name must have been an error, as a widow's maiden name would not have been used (although Cooper does have phonetic similarities to Kugler/Koogler).

There are only a few clues to Catherine Crobarger's origins in known records. The age at death in two different newspaper death notices calculates to a birth date of approximately December 16, 1777 (age at death calculations were often off by about one day). A variety of census enumerations (of both herself and her children) suggest that she was born in Pennsylvania. The 1850 census though records her birthplace merely as "O." At the time, this would most likely have been an abbreviation for Ohio (although that is a guess). But, it would have been unusual and unlikely for a European-American child to have been born in Ohio in the 1770s. If that census record was really a reference to Ohio, it could have been an indication that she had spent part of her youth in Ohio (i.e. Question: "where are you from?" Answer: "Ohio"). But, because the same census record also erroneously lists her last name as "Cooper", perhaps the "O." birth place is simply an error. The only other clue is the 1870 census, which indicated that both of her parents were foreign-born.

She was probably the same person as Anna Catharina Kugler, whose birth was documented on December 15, 1777 (nearly matching our Catherine's documented birth date), the daughter of German immigrants Jacob and Catharina Kugler. If Anna Catharina was still alive and unmarried during the 1790s and 1800s, it could have been the right circumstances for her to have met and married Jacob Crobarger. As listed in Jacob's biography, he has not been located in any records before 1811 and there is a strong likelihood that he had moved away from where his family lived in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Perhaps young Jacob Crobarger sought adventure and moved west to a German settlement in Ohio; then married and moved back to his family in Virginia. Longevity might also be a clue; Catherine Crobarger lived to 97 and Anna Catharina's sister Sarah Kugler Harner lived to 99. However, there are no known records that show that any Crobargers were anywhere near that part of Ohio where the Kuglers were living. But, one intriguing clue is about a horse. In an 1814 newspaper article, George Crobarger of Augusta Co., Virginia (Jacob Crobarger's brother) attested to the quality of horses that were sired by a stud horse (named "Goliah") that was then living in Greene Co., Ohio. Six years earlier, in 1808, a different newspaper article described how that same horse "Goliah" was temporarily in Augusta County, Virginia. Clearly then, a stud horse had been in both Augusta County, Virginia (where the Crobargers lived) and Greene County, Ohio (where the Kuglers lived), and the Crobargers were well aware of it. Could Jacob Crobarger been involved in buying or selling horses, which could have been the reason he ended up meeting Catherine in Greene County, Ohio?

Warning! Other than these various similarities and circumstantial clues (same first name; nearly matching birth date; birth in Pennsylvania; presumed connection to Ohio; both parents born outside of the US; longevity; and connections to a stud horse where both families were living), there are no known records that prove or even suggest this connection.

However, the primary evidence that supports the theory that Anna Catharina Kugler was the same person as Catherine Crobarger is DNA: I have autosomal DNA matches with documented descendants of three different siblings of Anna Catharina: Sarah Kugler Harner (1772-1872), Matthias Kugler (1780-1854), and Jacob Koogler (1784-1870); and also have multiple matches with descendants of Anna Catharina's maternal aunt Sophia Margaretha Neuhaus Bauersachs (1746-c. 1810). These DNA matches from 4 different lines strongly indicates that I am somehow related to the Kugler-Neuhaus family, and the nearly matching details between Anna Catharina Kugler and Catherine Crobarger strongly support her being the same person and the source of that genetic link.

One clue against the theory is a March 1870 newspaper article about Sarah Kugler Harner being the oldest woman living in Greene County, Ohio, which indicated that she had one brother then living "She also has a brother living near by who is 87 years of age" (the inference is that he was her only sibling then alive, but it does not explicitly say that. It's very possible that her family had lost contact with other siblings, like what could have happened in the case of our Catherine who moved frequently during her long life: to West Virginia, then Tennessee, then Virginia, then back to Tennessee, then Indiana, then Missouri, and finally across the continent to Oregon, where she moved at least 5 times).

Regardless of Catherine's exact origins, she was born in Pennsylvania. She married Jacob Crobarger before 1808, at an unknown location. They were probably in what is now West Virginia when their first known child was born in 1808. They moved to northeast Tennessee (probably with Jacob's father Michael) in 1808 or 1809. There, they apparently lived in Sullivan County or neighboring Hawkins County, Tennessee before moving to Scott County, Virginia in about 1815. They lived in Estillville (now Gate City) in Scott County, Virginia until October 1819 when they sold their land there. At that time, they probably moved back to Tennessee and lived at an unknown location in eastern Tennessee until 1830, when Catherine was a widow and head of the household in Jefferson County, Tennessee.

In Jefferson County, they were relatively close to other relatives, including Susannah Crobarger Critz (her husband's cousin) who lived in Hawkins County, Tennessee and also cousins by marriage, the Lamar family, who lived in Jefferson County, Tennessee. In 1834, her daughter Susannah was married in Jefferson County. Soon after this, Catherine probably moved with her children to an unknown location in the state of Indiana (perhaps Pike, Switzerland, or Clinton County; counties where other relatives lived), where they lived briefly. In about 1838, they moved to Platte Co., Missouri. In 1840, she was living in a household in Platte County with her two sons. In Platte County, Catherine was a member of the Old Flintlock Baptist Church. In 1846, she crossed the Oregon Trail with youngest daughter Harriet and family. They lived in at least 4 different locations in Oregon (Lafayette, Winchester, Roseburg, and Myrtle Creek) before settling in the tiny town of Galesville, in Douglas County, Oregon in about 1863. Catherine resided there until her death in 1875, at the age of 97. Her place of burial is unknown. She was either buried in an unmarked grave on the family estate (now in a rural area between Azalea and Glendale), in an unmarked grave in the Glendale Cemetery (even though their earliest documented burial was in 1883), or - most likely in my opinion - in an unmarked grave in the tiny Quines Creek/Gilliam Cemetery (which was very close to their home; and where others who were connected to her daughter's family are known to have been buried).

In 1873, Catherine applied for a homestead for 162 acres near Galesville, which was approved and she was issued a patent for that land the same year. In her application, she indicated she settled that land in 1867 and built a small house the same year (12 x 14 foot house with an add-on 10 x 11 foot kitchen). She also indicated she cultivated one acre of the land, built a barn and fenced in 12 acres. Since Catherine was 89 years old in 1867 and living with her daughter's family, her son-in-law or grandson filed for the homestead in her name only.

Obituary, Jacksonville Democratic Times, Friday, April 23, 1875:
"DIED. -- CROBARGER - At the residence of Col. Wm. J. Martin, Cow Creek, Douglas county, March 4th, Mrs. Catherine Crobarger, aged 97 years, 2 months and 16 days."

Obituary, The Oregonian, Apr. 27, 1875, Pg. 2:
"DIED:... At Cow Creek, Douglas county, March 4, Mrs. Catharine Crobarger, aged 97 years, 2 mos., 16 days..."

For information on their children, see his page.

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